Snapped a shock spring... opinions

[Blak_Mamber]

Hi all,

Managed to snap my passenger side front spring going round a corner yeserday (wasnt over doing it btw). I replaced the original shocks and springs for KYB excel shocks and cobra lowering springs about 5 years ago. I have an anti lift kit on the car but no panhard rod. Had all the alignment on the wheels done about a month back. I suppose it was just time and alot of hard corners before one spring or shock gave up on me

Do i :-

a) replace all 4 springs and put them onto the shocks ive already got (i.e the kyb's). I would be getting tein springs brand new all round.

b) Try and find some good condition coilovers from a member on here? would i benifit more from spending the extra cash on coilovers rather than just getting lowering springs again?

Also, whilst im at it, i want a rear anti roll bar and to replace my front anti roll bar joints as they look squashed and cracked lol Is this easy enough for me to fit with just a few jacks and tools?

Cheers in advance peeps.

Lewis

 

[dac69er]

its up to you tbh. depends on funds. i wouldnt bother replacing the shocks if they are fine unless getting coilovers. cobra springs are a bit cheapo, they should have lasted longer, but that is just the way it goes sometimes!

as for fitting the arb bits, should be easy enough to change. the front arb droplinks can sometimes be pretty rusted up. you can buy the complete droplinks from camskill pretty cheap, so i would just do that instead of replacing just the bushes

 

[Blak_Mamber]

Cheers Dunc, im thinking of just finding some coilovers or splashing out and just getting new meisters and try not going out for the next few weeks on the piss lol.

I'll ring camskill and ask them about the droplinks, couldnt see the ones i wanted on their website.

Any more opinions on convincing me to buy coilovers over new tein springs

 

[dac69er]

meisters are good. but i dont know if i would bother with coilovers if you use the car all year round. one winter in the uk and they will be half seized up

i guess you have these type of droplink? http://www.camskill.co.uk/m19b0s131...-_Toyota_Starlet_01_1992_on_EP82_and_ALL_EP91


if you have the older style droplink this is what you need: http://www.camskill.co.uk/m19b0s131...oplink_Kit_-_Toyota_Starlet_EP82_up_to_01_92_

 

[Blak_Mamber]

Yeah i do tend to use it all year, but i dont use it in the snow or anything. Ive got a garage to keep it in for proper wintery days.. Im just thinking it may be alot easier to fit coilovers also. If i was to fit new springs, id have to buy a spring compressor etc.. Do coiovers have a tendancy to seize up over shocks and springs?

Thanks for the link, its the top ones i need for sure.

 

[dac69er]

the damper themselves are fine. its just all the adjustment tends to seize up after a winter. just my opinion. i would rather fit some shocks and springs on a daily driver.

oh, and tbh, really snowy days arent that bad as the snow washes some of the salt off the car. its those damp days where you get all that shitty salt all over the car that does it no good

 

[Blak_Mamber]

Im just gonna order some springs, sounds like my best option...

Will i be able to fit both a rear anti roll bar and an adjustable panhard rod together without any problems i.e. knocking and hitting each other etc..?

 

[Blak_Mamber]

Just ordered springs and rear anti roll bar.

Is it worth me buying an adjustable panhard rod and fit it all together? or will i be ok without one??

 

[dac69er]

i would get one, just to get everything aligned spot on. but chances are its not lowered enough to make any real difference. if money is tight and you have gone for tein springs i would leave getting a panhard rod unless the bushes in your current one are gone!?

 

[Blak_Mamber]

i would get one, just to get everything aligned spot on. but chances are its not lowered enough to make any real difference. if money is tight and you have gone for tein springs i would leave getting a panhard rod unless the bushes in your current one are gone!?

Thanks mate. I haven’t checked my original one. Will have a look when the cars in the air when fitting the springs and RARB... the car will be lowered 40mm front and 30mm rear from those tein springs. I may get one just for peace of mind that everything is as good as can be.

Thanks again Dunc, I can’t rep you anymore apparently

 

[sx_turbo]

go for the coilovers dude,

stay away from the over sprung coilovers like trd's d2 etc, 6k front and 3k rear springs should be about right for road and occasional track use,

think the meisters are ideally suited to road work, and imo after having both in the past, coilovers are better, and the rear arb is a must, and i would recomend doing the front bar aswell, and getting the lower control arm brace aswell

 

[Blak_Mamber]

Thanks Ricky.

I have already ordered the tein springs yesterday which im going to chuck onto my existing shocks. I couldnt afford coilovers after checking my funds, just got back from Vegas lol.

I got the rear anti roll bar too coming with the springs and gonna order an adjustable panhard rod to make sure everythings balanced nicely.

Im hoping the tein springs will be better than the cobra springs which i was using aided by the new roll bars etc..

I'll let you know how i get on. Also, do you still work at Motex? Im in need of some spring clamps and ive still got your compression tester sitting in my room

 

[sx_turbo]

yeah should work quite well, from what i've heard the tein springs are good, they dont lower the car to much tho, probably a bonus with the front splitter lol

i'm pretty sure that setup will give you good results, them roll bars make all the difference.

yeah still here mate, trying to get out though, so if u know of any jobs going hit me up lol

 

[Blak_Mamber]

yeah should work quite well, from what i've heard the tein springs are good, they dont lower the car to much tho, probably a bonus with the front splitter lol

i'm pretty sure that setup will give you good results, them roll bars make all the difference.

yeah still here mate, trying to get out though, so if u know of any jobs going hit me up lol

Ill let you know how the springs go mate, hopefully they will be a slight upgrade to the cobra's...

Do you sell the spring clamps at your work dude?

I dont know of any jobs going in my work, im at a really small broking company in London and no one seems to ever leave or get employed here lol.

 

[sx_turbo]

yeah thats the same here mate, cant go any higher unless i move.

erm spring clamps yes i do, not cheap mate, £40 for a heavy duty pair

 

[MeisterR]

Thought I should mention that seizing up problem has a much lower chance with the MeisterR.
The damper are coated in a "black chromium" that went under a salt spray test (ASTM B117) for 120 hours with no corrosion.

I always suggest a little white lithium grease for extra protection, but we have customers on the Zeta-R coilovers for 2 years now and their rings still move fine.

 

[dac69er]

Thought I should mention that seizing up problem has a much lower chance with the MeisterR.
The damper are coated in a "black chromium" that went under a salt spray test (ASTM B117) for 120 hours with no corrosion.

I always suggest a little white lithium grease for extra protection, but we have customers on the Zeta-R coilovers for 2 years now and their rings still move fine.

my D2s had a similar coating and they seized after a year. free'd them up with a massive set of stilsons, cleaned then and coated them in grease and the next year they were seized again

not saying meisters will be the same, but just sharing my experience. the meisters i am using on my ep85 have barely seen any water, let alone a winter so are still fine

 

[Blak_Mamber]

Just to let people know i opted for the Tein lowering springs and a rear anti roll bar. Got round to fitting the fronts yesterday which all went well, just the backs and the roll bar to do this thursday. The front seems to sit a lot higher, maybe they will bed in?? The Tein's were 3mm lower than the old cobra's I had on there before

 

[dac69er]

cheap springs sag alot more. the teins dont sit particulalry low as they actually retain some damper travel so you get a decent ride and better handling.

saying that, they will bed in after a few 100 miles, but dont expect anything super low. a 5mm extra drop possibly.

 

[sx_turbo]

i thought the tein springs only dropped 25mm???